Dominican+Republic+-+Janghoon+Choi

Dominican Republic ** Janghoon Choi ** Dominican Republic is a country located in the Caribbean region on the island of Hispaniola with Haiti as a neighboring country. It covers an area of 48, 670 sq km being the second largest Caribbean country after Cuba, and the country comparison to the world is 132. Moreover, Dominican Republic lies in the middle of the hurricane belt having occasional flooding and periodic droughts.

Population
The total population of Dominican Republic is 10,088,598 and it's more populated than its neighboring country, Haiti with 9,801,664. This countr y's population is altered mainly because vulnerable boys, girls, and young people are victims of HIV/AIDS. At the end of 2003, people under the age of fourteen were receiving special treatment, and UNICEF has been providing technical support to protect children and adolescents who are vulnerable as a result of HIV/AIDS in the Dominican Republic .

Birth Rate
The birth rate is 19.44 births/ 1,000 population which is lower than Haiti with 23.87 births/ 1,000 population. The birth rate is low when compared to the country with the highest birth rate, Niger that has 47.6 births/ 1,000 populations. Malnutrition and infectious diseases are some of the factors that affect birth rate in this country.

Death Rate
The death rate is 4.41 deaths/ 1,000 population similar to Jamaica with 6.59 deaths/ 1,000 population. The death rate is quite low, but malnutrition and infectious diseases also affect death rate. Additionally, health care is a crucial factor to be considered because death rate is highly affected.

Net Migration Rate
The net migration rate is -1.98 migrant(s) /1,000 population like Cuba that also has a negative net migration rate of 3.59 migrant(s) / 1,000 population. Several people leave their country to find better employment and living conditions in foreign countries. The net migration rate is low and this can increase unemployment and reduction in the labor force.

Infant Mortality Rate
The infant mortality rate is pretty high with 21.3 deaths/ 1,000 live births like Belize with 21.37 deaths/ 1,000 live births. This indicates that the level of health in the Dominican Republic is poor and needs cooperation from groups like UNICEF. Malnutrition was responsible for 265,000 deaths between 1940 and 1989 that included victims under one year old.

Population Growth Rate
Dominican Republic has a high population growth rate with 1.305% ranking as number 90 compared to the world. The birth rate is higher than the death rate causing the population to grow. Even though the net migration rate is -1.98 migrant(s) /1,000 population, the birth rate is extremely high compared to the death rate. Therefore, population is increasing and not decreasing.

Life Expectancy
The life expectancy at birth of the total population is 77.44 years ranking as number 64 compared to the world. Male's life expectancy is 75.28 years, and the female's life expectancy is 79.69 years. In this country, 18% of AIDS cases occur in 15 to 24 years old, which influence the life expectancy of the people.

Doubling Time
70/ 1.305 = 53.64

In 53 or 54 years, the population of the Dominican Republic will double. Since Dominican Republic has a high birth rate and low death rate, the rate in which population grows is not balanced. Moreover, population increase can be both positive and negative due to the fact that it can affect the economy of the country.

Demographic Transition Model
Dominican Republic is a less economically developed country in stage two because birth rate remains high while the death rate drops. There are high birth rates as health care improved due to the fact that groups like UNICEF and National Health Institute (INSALUD) are cooperating with this country for a better health care.

Major Issues
AIDS/HIV is one of the major issues in this country. About 57,000 people live with AIDS and there were 2,300 deaths due to AIDS on 2009. Moreover, Dominican Republic is facing environmental issues such as water shortages that might affect the population, deforestation, and soil eroding into the sea destroying coral reefs. Additionally, malnutrition is a major problem because it occurs as a consequence of insufficient food and cause infectious diseases .

Reference
"Central Intelligence Agency." CIA. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. .

"HIV/AIDS and Children." UNICEF Dominican Republic. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. .

"Young Child Survival and Development." UNICEF Dominican Republic. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://www.unirg/republicadominicana/english/survival_development_12567.htm>.